Wright County, Iowa | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofIowa | |
| Coordinates:42°43′59″N93°44′08″W / 42.7331°N 93.7356°W /42.7331; -93.7356 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Iowa |
| Founded | January 15, 1851 |
| Named after | Silas Wright |
| Seat | Clarion |
| Largest city | Eagle Grove |
| Area | |
• Total | 582 sq mi (1,510 km2) |
| • Land | 580 sq mi (1,500 km2) |
| • Water | 1.8 sq mi (4.7 km2) 0.3% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 12,943 |
• Estimate (2024) | 12,729 |
| • Density | 22/sq mi (8.6/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
| Website | wrightcounty |
Wright County is acounty in theU.S. state ofIowa. As of the2020 census, the population was 12,943.[1] Thecounty seat isClarion.[2] The county organization became effective in January 1851, and is believed to be named either afterSilas Wright, a governor of New York, orJoseph Albert Wright, a governor of Indiana.[3]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 582 square miles (1,510 km2), of which 580 square miles (1,500 km2) is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2) (0.3%) is covered by water.[4] The terrain is generally undulating. The county is intersected by theBoone andIowa Rivers[5]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 2,392 | — | |
| 1880 | 5,062 | 111.6% | |
| 1890 | 12,057 | 138.2% | |
| 1900 | 18,227 | 51.2% | |
| 1910 | 17,951 | −1.5% | |
| 1920 | 20,348 | 13.4% | |
| 1930 | 20,216 | −0.6% | |
| 1940 | 20,038 | −0.9% | |
| 1950 | 19,652 | −1.9% | |
| 1960 | 19,447 | −1.0% | |
| 1970 | 17,294 | −11.1% | |
| 1980 | 16,319 | −5.6% | |
| 1990 | 14,269 | −12.6% | |
| 2000 | 14,334 | 0.5% | |
| 2010 | 13,229 | −7.7% | |
| 2020 | 12,943 | −2.2% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 12,729 | [6] | −1.7% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9] 1990-2000[10] 2010-2018[11] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 12,943, giving a population density of22.2/sq mi (8.6/km2).[12][13]
As of the2020 census, the median age was 41.0 years. 24.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.2 males age 18 and over.[12]
As of the2020 census, the racial makeup of the county was 81.4%White, 0.6%Black or African American, 0.7%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Asian, 0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 10.2% from some other race, and 6.5% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 18.5% of the population. Approximately 93.5% of residents reported being of one race.[13]
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 10,107 | 78.1% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 73 | 0.6% |
| Native American (NH) | 15 | 0.12% |
| Asian (NH) | 67 | 0.52% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 8 | 0.06% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 279 | 2.2% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 2,394 | 18.5% |
As of the2020 census, <0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[15]
As of the2020 census, there were 5,404 households in the county, of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.6% were married-couple households, 20.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Of the 6,260 housing units, 5,404 were occupied and 13.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.4% were owner-occupied and 28.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.9%.[12]
The 2010 census recorded a population of 13,229 in the county, with a population density of22.8/sq mi (8.8/km2). There were 6,529 housing units, of which 5,625 were occupied.[16]
As of thecensus[17] of 2000, there were 14,334 people, 5,940 households, and 3,938 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 25 people per square mile (9.7 people/km2). There were 6,559 housing units at an average density of 11 units per square mile (4.2 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.93%White, 0.17%Black orAfrican American, 0.18%Native American, 0.20%Asian, 2.90% fromother races, and 0.63% from two or more races. 4.93% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 5,940 households, out of which 28.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.30% weremarried couples living together, 6.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.70% were non-families. 30.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.50% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 24.50% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 21.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,197, and the median income for a family was $44,043. Males had a median income of $29,398 versus $21,222 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $18,247. About 4.20% of families and 7.00% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 7.70% of those under age 18 and 6.40% of those age 65 or over.
School districts include:[18]
Former school districts:[20]
These three school districts in Wright County have or had high schools in the county:Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Community School District K-12 Enrollment 954Eagle Grove Community School District K-12 Enrollment 836Belmond-Klemme Community School District K-12 Enrollment 793
Iowa State University maintains an extension office in Clarion.Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, andEllsworth Community College in Iowa Falls are all within driving distance of Wright County. Iowa Central Community College began offering ICN Polycom classes in Clarion and Eagle Grove in 2015.
Wright County has, like many counties in Iowa, been a swing county for the majority of its history. The county has voted for the winning candidate in 21 out of the 25 presidential elections in the 20th Century. However, in 2000, the county was won by RepublicanGeorge W. Bush and has voted for the party in all presidential elections since.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1896 | 2,992 | 71.39% | 1,138 | 27.15% | 61 | 1.46% |
| 1900 | 2,990 | 75.07% | 891 | 22.37% | 102 | 2.56% |
| 1904 | 2,795 | 77.38% | 695 | 19.24% | 122 | 3.38% |
| 1908 | 2,498 | 72.34% | 866 | 25.08% | 89 | 2.58% |
| 1912 | 805 | 22.64% | 765 | 21.52% | 1,985 | 55.84% |
| 1916 | 2,599 | 68.22% | 1,135 | 29.79% | 76 | 1.99% |
| 1920 | 5,739 | 81.04% | 1,205 | 17.01% | 138 | 1.95% |
| 1924 | 4,323 | 57.40% | 501 | 6.65% | 2,707 | 35.94% |
| 1928 | 5,020 | 65.79% | 2,547 | 33.38% | 63 | 0.83% |
| 1932 | 3,262 | 39.14% | 4,922 | 59.06% | 150 | 1.80% |
| 1936 | 3,311 | 38.01% | 5,177 | 59.44% | 222 | 2.55% |
| 1940 | 4,443 | 47.52% | 4,871 | 52.10% | 36 | 0.39% |
| 1944 | 3,916 | 47.86% | 4,232 | 51.72% | 35 | 0.43% |
| 1948 | 3,810 | 48.85% | 3,866 | 49.56% | 124 | 1.59% |
| 1952 | 6,566 | 67.12% | 3,186 | 32.57% | 31 | 0.32% |
| 1956 | 5,512 | 58.70% | 3,865 | 41.16% | 13 | 0.14% |
| 1960 | 5,386 | 56.34% | 4,159 | 43.50% | 15 | 0.16% |
| 1964 | 2,831 | 36.13% | 4,998 | 63.78% | 7 | 0.09% |
| 1968 | 4,299 | 56.95% | 2,969 | 39.33% | 281 | 3.72% |
| 1972 | 4,278 | 59.73% | 2,780 | 38.82% | 104 | 1.45% |
| 1976 | 3,544 | 48.67% | 3,637 | 49.95% | 101 | 1.39% |
| 1980 | 3,936 | 55.07% | 2,645 | 37.01% | 566 | 7.92% |
| 1984 | 3,675 | 54.81% | 2,980 | 44.44% | 50 | 0.75% |
| 1988 | 2,658 | 43.90% | 3,353 | 55.38% | 43 | 0.71% |
| 1992 | 2,708 | 40.63% | 2,776 | 41.65% | 1,181 | 17.72% |
| 1996 | 2,473 | 41.50% | 2,912 | 48.87% | 574 | 9.63% |
| 2000 | 3,384 | 53.41% | 2,796 | 44.13% | 156 | 2.46% |
| 2004 | 3,631 | 54.99% | 2,930 | 44.37% | 42 | 0.64% |
| 2008 | 3,198 | 50.01% | 3,102 | 48.51% | 95 | 1.49% |
| 2012 | 3,349 | 53.35% | 2,836 | 45.17% | 93 | 1.48% |
| 2016 | 3,800 | 63.06% | 1,896 | 31.46% | 330 | 5.48% |
| 2020 | 4,136 | 66.13% | 1,996 | 31.92% | 122 | 1.95% |
| 2024 | 3,853 | 67.32% | 1,770 | 30.93% | 100 | 1.75% |
Several small newspapers are published in Wright County, including theWright County Monitor, serving Clarion and Dows, theEagle Grove Eagle, and theBelmond Independent.
The first Wright County Fair was held in Clarion. The old fairgrounds were located where Clarion's USA Healthcare Center stands today. the Clarion Fair ran until 1924; it was held in Goldfield in 1925, and moved to its present location in Eagle Grove in 1926; it was later retitled as the Wright County District Junior Fair. Entries are open to children in Hamilton, Humboldt, Webster, Hardin, Franklin, and Wright Counties.[22]
The population ranking of the following table is based on the2020 census of Wright County.[1]
†county seat
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2020 Census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eagle Grove | City | 3,601 |
| 2 | †Clarion | City | 2,810 |
| 3 | Belmond | City | 2,463 |
| 4 | Goldfield | City | 634 |
| 5 | Dows (partially inFranklin County) | City | 521 |
| 6 | Woolstock | City | 144 |
| 7 | Rowan | City | 123 |
| 8 | Galt | City | 26 |
Places adjacent to Wright County, Iowa | |
|---|---|
Municipalities and communities ofWright County, Iowa,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
42°43′59″N93°44′08″W / 42.73306°N 93.73556°W /42.73306; -93.73556
